CJP protest in Delhi highlights: CJP sets 7-day deadline for govt action, threatens pan-India agitation

CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: The CJP has set a deadline of seven days for the government to take action against recent exam lapses. The youth-led party has threatened a nationwide agitation if no action is taken within the given deadline. “This is the beginning of a movement. If no action is taken within seven days, this movement will spread across the country. We remain committed to a peaceful, democratic struggle and to building a pro-youth, pro-education, pro-Constitution, and pro-India movement that raises the voices of students and young people across the nation,” the CJP said in a statement on Saturday after the protests.

“If we want to reset the education system, it must begin with the removal of the Education Minister. As long as he remains in office, we cannot begin the process of restoring the education system of this country,” it said.

CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: The Delhi Police have dismissed reports that FIR had been registered against the CJP protesters at Jantar Mantar on Saturday. “It is clarified that no such FIR has been registered . Citizens are advised not to believe or circulate unverified information. Please rely only on official updates issued by Delhi Police,” the Delhi Police said on X.

CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: In a veiled dig at the Cockroach Janata Party, BJP chief Nitin Nabin said, “some people, sitting abroad, think that they will dictate the direction to India's youth.”

“Today's youth wants to work for the construction of the nation, wants to work to secure their future. But some people have labeled this country's youth as anti-establishment. To those who want to drag this country's youth into negative politics, I warn them that India's youth will engage in positive politics. We will oppose on the basis of democracy, but we will not allow the standards of democracy to be destroyed,” Nabin said, BJP posted on its official X account.

CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: On a day when hundreds gathered at Jantar Mantar here responding to the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) call, the Opposition stood vertically split into two camps -- a sceptical Congress on one side, while the rest of the parties cheered on from the sidelines.

While a section of the Congress trashed the CJP protest, calling it "performative" and a "brainchild of the AAP", the party's official line was more focussed on underlining that its youth and student wings have done more in fighting for the rights of the students affected by paper leaks and creaky digital infrastructure.

In stark contrast, the rest of the Opposition -- not just the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with whom CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke was associated in the past -- threw its weight behind the CJP's campaign. Many prominent faces from the Left even landed up at Jantar Mantar.

Seen from that lens, the CJP's first ground-level campaign also laid bare, yet again, the cracks in the Opposition ranks, widening by the day ahead of the nearly-defunct INDIA bloc's huddle on June 8 in New Delhi -- its first after the DMK's exit from the coalition following its defeat in the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls and the Congress's decision to tie up with the ruling TVK in the southern state.

On Saturday, apart from the AAP, the CJP's protest received support from the Samajwadi Party (SP), Trinamool Congress (TMC), Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Left parties, among others.

via PTI

CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: Three people who claimed to be members of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) were detained on Saturday as they tried to burn an effigy of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan during a protest in the Cantonment area here, police said.

The demonstrators held banners and placards denouncing the minister outside the Indira Bal Bihar, they said.

Around 11 am, the protesters allegedly began preparations to burn an effigy of Pradhan, when Station House Officer (Cantt) Sanjay Singh, accompanied by a police team, reached the spot and detained three of them.

Rajat Chaudhary, Mohammad Afzal and Ankit Kumar were taken to the police station, while others dispersed.

Proceedings under preventive provisions related to breach of peace have been initiated against the detained individuals, and further legal action is being taken, the police said.

via PTI

CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: Hundreds of protesters gathered at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Saturday under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests, with founder Abhijeet Dipke delivering the message not to be "scared".

"My friends, this is a long struggle. It has been a month since we started demanding Pradhan's resignation on social media, but these individuals are so shameless that instead of taking action, they have been focussed on other distractions, like hacking our accounts and getting our posts deleted. You may be able to delete our posts, but you cannot erase us from this space," Dipke said during his address to the crowd, which energetically supported his words.

via PTI

CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke returned to India this morning and launched a mega protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, demanding the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged lapses linked to examinations and recruitment tests.

Apart from Pradhan's resignation, the protesters are demanding the following:

Digitalisation in education only after proper training

Normal functioning of education in Manipur

Fairness and credibility in competitive examinations

Focus on issues affecting students and parents

Accountability and attention to students' mental health

CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: A massive crowd gathered at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Saturday following a call for protest by the Cockroach Janata Party over recent exam lapses, including NEET, CBSE and CUET rows. Among the attendees of the protest were school students, college-goers, competitive exam aspirants and parents. Many parents said concerns over the education system had brought them to the demonstration, news agency PTI reported. Many of the attendees showed concerns over recurring controversies around examinations, uncertainty over results and a lack of accountability from authorities. Read full report here

CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said the youth movement under the banner of CJP is ‘an expression of huge anger and frustration’ experienced by the youth. “Rather than terming them anti-national, Modi govt shud address their issues. AAP supports their demands. The Prime Minister must sack the education minister immediately.” Kejriwal said.

CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: Leader of the CJP, Abhijeet Dipke on Saturday said that the Jantar Mantar protest was just a trailer, hinting at further agitation over exam lapses as the protesters demanded union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.

CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: The CJP protest over exam lapses has ended with leader of the movement Abhijeet Dipke saying that he is going to meet his parents now and that they have been through a lot over the last two weeks. “I am going home to see my parents, it’s been more than a year since I last met them. They've suffered a lot over the last 15 days and had to leave home because of threats. Will be taking them back to home,” Dipke told media.

CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: After the protest at Jantar Mantar ended, spokesperson of the movement, Saurav Das posted visuals of the protest showing the crowd and said, “HUGE NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE GATHERED AT JANTAR MANTAR, PEACEFULLY!”

CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: The Cockroach Janata Party on its X handle shared visuals of Saturday's protest at Jantar Mantar showing the scale of the stir in the national capital. 'The Cockroaches' Rebellion,' the caption of the post read.

CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: Even as CJP's 5pm deadline for education minister's resignation nears, there has been no response from the government. CJP's Abhijeet Dipke had earlier given an ultimatum of 5pm for Union education minister Dharemendra Pradhan's resignation as he threatened a pan-India agitation.

CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: Cockroach Janata Party founder Abhijeet Dipke has shared a video of the crowd at the protest site on Saturday.

“They said cockroaches will never come on the ground…” Dipke said in the post.

CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: The protesters have moved ahead from Jantar Mantar and are now headed towards Delhi's Connaught Place amid heavy security presence.

CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has thrown weight behind the GenZ-led protest at Jantar Mantar under the banner of ‘Cockroach Janata Party’,

"Those whom we call the destiny-makers and future of the country — thousands of young people — have come out on the streets in the scorching heat, carrying their pain and worries about their future.

It is not right to belittle them by calling them ‘cockroaches’ and deny them justice," Thackeray said in a statement shared by party MP Sanjay Raut on X.

“The NEET paper leak has devastated lakhs of young people. All these aggrieved young men and women are now raising their voices by becoming cockroaches,” he said.

CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke returned to India this morning and launched a mega protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, demanding the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged lapses linked to examinations and recruitment tests.

Apart from Pradhan's resignation, the protesters are demanding the following:

Digitalisation in education only after proper training

Normal functioning of education in Manipur

Fairness and credibility in competitive examinations

Focus on issues affecting students and parents

Accountability and attention to students' mental health

CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: Activist Sonam Wangchuk has strongly backed the youth-led protest under the banner of the Cockroach Janata Party and was present at the Jantar Mantar protest today where he demanded Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. Earlier, on Friday, said he would undertake a six-week fast if Dipke is arrested.

CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: School students, college-goers, competitive exam aspirants and parents were among those who gathered at Jantar Mantar here on Saturday for a protest organised by the supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), with many saying concerns over the education system had brought them to the demonstration.

The crowds that started assembling from Saturday morning, kept swelling through the day.

Several participants who spoke to PTI said recurring controversies around examinations, uncertainty over results and a lack of accountability from authorities have shaken their confidence in the system. Some also expressed disappointment with both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as well as the opposition parties, saying issues affecting young people are not receiving adequate attention.

Parents accompanying children said the concerns extend beyond students.

Nusrat Parveen, who attended the protest with her three daughters, said she has seen the pressure students face while preparing for competitive examinations.

"My children are worried about their future and as a parent, I feel that pressure too," she said.

Her daughters, Razda, a graduation student, and Iqra, who is in Class 11, said concerns over examinations and admissions have become a constant topic among students. "Education has become a way of earning money," Razda said, while Iqra spoke of the uncertainty that lies ahead.

Their sister, Zikra Parveen, said students often map out their future plans based on expected results, only to be confronted with fresh uncertainty. "We had calculated our scores and were thinking about colleges. Then we learnt that the paper was cancelled," she said.

For some participants, the issues go beyond examinations and reflect broader concerns about opportunities available to youngsters.

Vaishali, who works with an NGO in Delhi, said India frequently speaks about its demographic dividend but is not adequately addressing the concerns of its youth.

"We have the highest number of youngsters, but their issues are not being addressed. We need constructive change," she said.

via PTI

CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: CPJ leader Abhijeet Dipke said his mother worried for him as he returned home to India, fearing that he would be arrested. “My mother was very scared that this government would throw me in jail. In this country, every mother feels this fear when their child raises their voice against this government,” he said.

CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke posted a video on his X handle to show the huge crowd that gathered at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Saturday to protest against the recent exam chaos in the country. “They said cockroaches will never come on the ground…” Dipke said in the caption of the video.

CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: CJP's ABhjeet Dipke has threatened to launch a countrywide protest if Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan doesn't resign by 5pm today, The Indian Express reported. He reportedly said that protests would be organised across several cities during the next one week and also announced plans for another major demonstration at Jantar Mantar next Saturday.

CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: NCP (SP) general secretary Rohit Pawar has extended support to the protest led by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) against the alleged irregularities in the NEET and CBSE examinations.

Pawar said the overwhelming response to the protest reflected growing resentment among the country's youth against the Centre's policies and the alleged mismanagement of key examinations, PTI reported.

"The unprecedented participation of young people in the agitation shows the simmering discontent among the youth. The irregularities in the NEET and CBSE examinations, along with several wrong policies of the Central government, have directly affected the younger generation and triggered widespread anger," he was quoted as saying.

Rohit, a grandnephew of veteran politician Sharad Pawar, said he fully supported the movement which seeks to safeguard the interests of students and young people.

The NCP (SP) leader also demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the examinations.

CJP protest in Delhi LIVE: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke returned to India this morning and launched a mega protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, demanding the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged lapses linked to examinations and recruitment tests.

Apart from Pradhan's resignation, the protesters are demanding the following:

• Digitalisation in education only after proper training
• Normal functioning of education in Manipur
• Fairness and credibility in competitive examinations
• Focus on issues affecting students and parents
• Accountability and attention to students' mental health

Read full report here